Another Coffee Shop AU
by shadocoon
Summary: I never write anything that isn't extremely vague, so this happened. And who doesn't love a coffee shop AU? Pretty strong SoMa, but it might contain some of my other SE ships (TsuStar, KidLiz, other stuff). I dunno how long it'll be.
1. Soul Evans

**SOMA COFFEE SHOP AU**

**LET'S DO IT**

Chapter 1: Soul Evans

It was the same thing every day. Or at least that was how it felt to him. He would wake up at an ungodly hour just to have people make demands of him for the entire morning. Working at a Deathbucks in the middle of the city wasn't the most desirable job, but it paid well enough, and he wasn't bad at it. His boss did keep telling him that he could stand to be more cheerful though. _Bite me. _He stifled a yawn and plastered on a tired smile when a man walked through one of the glass doors.

"How can I help you today, sir?" he asked with fabricated friendliness.

"Yeah. I'll have a large vanilla latte," the man tapped his fingers on the counter, "Make it quick." He added seemingly as an afterthought after he handed over a crisp five-dollar bill.

The man's eyes roamed to the nametag that sat proudly on the left side of his black v-neck. It was nothing he could be blamed for. _Soul. _What had his parents been thinking when they had named him that? Soul was not sure if it was due to his impatience or due to some hidden generosity that the man had not asked for change. He decided not to say anything. He checked his watch. 6:30 AM. Great. 20 minutes into the morning shift.

The rest of the morning went similarly (as it always did) with Soul serving customers ranging from polite to explosive. None of their feelings towards him were really justified, but he wasn't too fond of any of them either, so there was a mutual understanding of sorts. There were some faces he recognized, as well as some orders that he knew by heart. _One small coffee and a blueberry scone for Martha! _Everything else was mostly a blur. At some times he would be at the cash, talking to customers and grabbing baked goods from the display. His break from interaction with anyone who wasn't a coworker would be spent mixing drinks that he knew by heart and calling out incorrect names scrawled on the sides of paper cups.

Once all the nine-to-fivers were in work things would finally calm down. There would be the occasional student from the city college in the area or a writer who could nurse a single espresso for hours as they typed steadily away at their dreams and overdue papers. Soul stood absently at the cash staring out the window onto the street, not really taking in anything or anyone who passed by. How had he let it get like this? He had been sure at one point that he was going to amount to something. When had he forgotten that and allowed himself to be content with allowing dexterous fingers press cash register buttons and mix various drinks? Soul jumped at a hand clapping him firmly on the back.

"What's got you so down today?"

Had he been acting different than usual? He hadn't noticed.

"I'm fine, Kilik. Just had to wake up fucking early."

His coworker smiled toothily.

"Must be a bitch to be on the morning shift."

Soul scowled tiredly, not gracing the other man with an immediate response.

"Don't you have something to mop?" He finally sighed.

"Sure thing, sure thing," he agreed good-naturedly, the grin still on his face, "I'll leave you alone to brood, just don't scare away any customers with the mug of yours."

Soul shooed him off. He wiped the counter absently with a rag though it was already clean. He allowed himself a full yawn and again checked his watch. _10:30 AM. _Time was crawling more than usual today. He drummed his fingers on the counter. _Tick tock. _He refrained from glancing at his wrist again. He actually preferred when the shop was busy. Then he could actually do his job instead of actually being aware of how he was doing nothing with his life. At least he could appreciate the Adele that was playing right now. He would die before he admitted that to anyone else. Some things were best left a secret. And it was at that thought that _she_ walked in.


	2. Vanilla Latte Iced

**AN: **I'm just gonna apologize because I don't know where I'm going with this, but if you actually read it then thanks.

Chapter 2: Vanilla Latte. Iced

The girl was out of breath when she strode through the door. Out of breath was an understatement. She was gasping for air, her slender frame all but doubled over with hands on knees and head lowered. Soul kept his eyes trained on her as she eventually made her way to the cash register. The couple of people who were also in the shop looked up from their laptops before quickly losing interest and returning to their work. They were in the city after all; a girl running into a coffee shop wasn't the strangest thing they had seen.

"Can I get you something?" Soul tried to keep his tone neutral.

"I'll get a vanilla latte please. Iced."

"Sure thing."

He was the only one working the counter now, so he took the money and dropped the change into a small hand before making the drink. He watched the girl out of the corner of his eye as she waited. She had regained some composure since the time of her dramatic entrance a few minutes before. Her hair, thin and light, was pulled into two pigtails on the sides of her head. He couldn't help but think of what a childish choice it was for someone who honestly didn't look much younger than him. Some long strands had come loose from whatever mad dash she had just gone through before walking into his little coffee-scented world. His eyes traveled down slightly, and he checked himself before allow the corners of his mouth to turn down. _Damn. _Okay maybe she was a bit younger than he had thought at first. Or at least there were a couple of signs that pointed to that. _Or lack thereof. _Right! The coffee. He was taking a little too long to make an iced vanilla latte in the near empty establishment.

He put it down at the pick up section of the counter, but she didn't make a move. Did she even notice? Large green eyes that stared out the window told him that her mind was elsewhere.

"Oi! Your coffee." He tried to check his volume, but he wanted to be sure that she heard him.

As if woken from a trance, she trotted over the few steps to where he was holding the drink. She wore an apologetic look and the scent of summer. Whatever that was. She didn't really make a move to grab the drink. It was proper etiquette for him to put it down instead of just handing it to her, but the cup was still sweating into the palm of his hand.

"Take too long and it's gonna get cold. Here."

Had he really just made a joke? It was an insult to other jokes to even call it that. Her mouth quirked up in a small startled smile, and she appeared to be deep in thought while she punched a straw through the plastic lid.

"Thanks a latte!"

Soul had nothing to say. Had she really just said that when he had handed her a _latte_? His previous comment suddenly seemed a lot cleverer than it had before. His blank stare must have confused her because she frowned slightly before draining the cup. There was definitely something for him to do, like checking the temperatures on all the different brews or putting in some new muffins to prepare for the lunch rush. He didn't move a muscle. Was he really that tired today that he wasn't even capable of proper human interaction? Maybe he should see a doctor about extreme fatigue and general apathy.

The girl must have been uncomfortable as well, though she had not moved an inch. Soul watched as the creamy liquid that matched her hair was steadily sucked up the straw.

"Thank you for your patronage." He finally broke the silence that the Taylor Swift playing from the speakers had only served to accentuate.

"Ah! Right."

Her eyes darted from the window to his face, and she smiled briefly and absently before returning her gaze to where it had been before. He watched with heavy eyes as she walked to the door, pausing briefly before finally exiting out onto the near empty street. Odd that there was barely anyone there, considering that it was about time for lunch. He shrugged off the thought and willed time to move faster.

His prayers must have been answered because it felt like no time before his long shift was finally over. He would be coming back later in the day, but for now he was free. He unpinned his nametag and untied his apron in record time before finally leaving. He pulled out his phone to see if he had any new messages. There was nothing there, but it didn't really come as a surprise. He walked down the now busy street, not really heading anywhere in particular. The only thing he knew was that he didn't want to go back home. It was too depressing there. He was not surprised to find himself heading towards the park that wasn't too far from the particular Deathbucks where he worked. That was where he usually ended up.

The dark fabric of his shirt was attracting as much of the sunlight as it possibly could, and his jeans felt tighter than usual. It really just wasn't shaping up to be a great day. He sat down on an empty park bench, popped in his earphones, and ended up thinking about her. Who the hell said "thanks a latte" anyway?


	3. Coffee Has a Rhythm

**AN: **Okay. Not only is this chapter short, but I kinda hate it. It's a transitional one, and I wasn't really feeling it. The next chapter will be better, longer, and up soon because inspiration and all that jazz.

Chapter 3: Coffee Has a Rhythm

He wasn't sure exactly what had him thinking about her. He met countless people every day at work, and that did end up including members of the opposite sex. She definitely wasn't the prettiest girl who had walked in, and he had definitely been witness to stranger entrances. But there was a click as she stood there awkwardly. It wasn't necessarily a good click, but it wasn't a bad one either. Maybe he was just uncomfortable because he had been unable to glaze over in apathy or even feign friendliness with her. He had tried to make a joke for god's sake! And if there was one thing Soul didn't do on the job it was make jokes. He tried to focus only on the classical piano that was his filter against the noise of the outside world. It helped only a little.

* * *

Soul only opened his eyes once he realized how hungry he was. He often forgot that he was basically on a lunch break at this time of the day. He glanced at his wrist. 3:05 PM. His second and last shift of the long day started in 25 minutes, and he would be on until around eight that night. He kneaded his protesting stomach with a gentle hand. Had he remembered to eat breakfast this morning? Probably not. But then there it was. His savior and only true friend in the world. Joe Buttataki's 24 hour Diner, also known as the joint where he ended up eating most of his meals. After consulting his wristwatch once more he decided he had more than enough time. He pushed open the door and was greeted by the familiar sight of heaven on earth. He smiled for what was definitely the first time that day.

"Been a while, Soul."

Joe himself was standing behind the counter. Soul walked past the few booths and tables, some of which were occupied, and plopped himself in one of the barstool like seats in front of Joe. Joe was a bit man, intimidating if you didn't really know him. He was wearing the same vest and shirt he wore every day. There wasn't a doubt in Soul's mind that he was also wearing the same style of black shorts that he always wore. The man would wear them in a blizzard if one came. He nodded in response to the greeting. Talking wasn't really something he considered his forte. Joe procured a mug from under the counter and poured a steaming cup of coffee.

"You still serving that muddy water they call coffee over at Deathbucks?"

Soul nodded again, taking a long sip of the bitter beverage. He kept himself from grimacing. It was stronger than what he was expecting. Joe was a man who was as particular about his coffee as he was about his pants, and he was quite adamantly not a fan of Soul's place of work. He didn't complain out loud most of the time. Unless it was to Soul who couldn't have cared less really. He took another careful sip.

"I just need something quick before I go back to work."

"Sure thing."

* * *

Soul preferred working the later shifts. The people were usually friendlier and more interesting. They were in less of a rush and usually out because they wanted to be. Especially if it was the weekend. Nothing would take his mind off the strange girl like a group of drunk teenagers trying to order some coffee. He did enjoy his job every once in a while, and a good shift always reminded him of that. And man did it get busy. That was a given when you worked in a Deathbucks in the middle of Death City after all. The place already had a slight line when he arrived, and the cashier, a woman named Tsubaki, shot him a grateful look in between dealing with customers. He and Kilik would be in charge of preparing drinks. Tsubaki was alone now, and she was looking a bit worn thin. Soul was always impressed by how the young Japanese woman was able to talk to everyone with the same amount of patience. There were some stories about her boyfriend giving her a lot of practice, but Soul was yet to meet the man.

It took him a bit of time to get back into the flow of work, but by the time Kilik was back and the place was packed, coffee was all he could smell and all that was on his mind. It was a nice respite. Calling out names and having short conversations with customers was how he spent the time in between mixing drinks.

"You're being more talkative all of a sudden."

Kilik nudged him out of the way of the caramel syrup. _It's not all of a sudden if you haven't seen me in a few hours. _ He shrugged, not gracing his coworker with a real response. He received a grin as a hot cup was handed to him. He glanced at the side of it before calling out.

"Linda!"

He put the cup down and went to check if Tsubaki needed anything. And so the rest of the night went, Soul letting himself relax into the rhythm of the shop until it was finally time for him to go. He bid his peers goodbye before stepping out onto the street. There was a slight chill chasing out the humidity of the day, the pavement still holding onto some lingering heat. The city was busy. It was a Friday night after all. Soul thought of nothing concrete as he walked, skipping from one topic to the next in his mind. Something about that shift left him feeling pretty good. Maybe he'd go for a ride tomorrow. Didn't want the bike getting too dusty. He popped his earphones in and pressed play on the beat up iPod. There was nothing like some Hairspray to get you home. Not that anyone else had to know that. Seriously though. No one else had to know that.


	4. Passing Showers

**AN: **Also known as the "well that escalated quickly" chapter.

Chapter 4: Passing Showers

"We'll be seeing some passing showers later today. You'll only need to worry about an umbrella if you're fresh from the hairdresser!"

Soul turned off the television before the overly peppy weatherman could say anything more. He really didn't need that much energy directed his way so early in the morning. It was a day off, but he had some errands to run, so he hadn't slept as much as he would have liked. There was a possibility that the lack of sleep had something to do with how late he had stayed up doing absolutely nothing. He grabbed his Cellphone from its charger and stuffed it in his pocket. First stop: the grocery store. Not having work for a whole day was always nice, and he made sure to have no plans on this particular day. It was going to be a Soul only day. It was just what he needed to get his mind off of the girl. A task that he had spent the whole week failing at. She was like some sort of disease that wouldn't go away. It was a pain in the ass. It was only a few blocks to the super market, and he wasn't planning on buying much. A strategic strike would get him home within the half hour. Despite how simple it seemed, he didn't get very far.

_No way in hell. _The world must have been a more screwed up place than he had already thought because there she was standing right in front of him. He wasn't sure why he stopped walking. Okay that was a lie. It was obvious. She was staring at him curiously. Was he just making her uncomfortable or did she remember him? Probably not. It had been a week ago now. _But she did stop moving! _Why did he care? Soul kicked himself internally so his brain would stop spouting nonsense. It didn't work. The girl opened her mouth.

"Aren't you–?"

And it started pouring. Pouring was an understatement. It was as if the sky had opened up and was pouring down the wrath of the heavens or some crap. Soul couldn't even hear the rest of the words from her mouth. Other people who were on the sidewalk scattered, trying to get indoors or under awnings that offered virtually no protection. Soul reached out a hand and grabbed her by the wrist. He wasn't sure of what had made him do it, but it must have been some sort of divine intervention. He yanked her towards him just as a car, swerving from the sudden tempest, skidded over the pavement where they had just been standing. Soul stumbled backwards with her. She was light and unmoving.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

He let go of her small wrist, but there was no response. He was already past the point where he could get any more wet, but it was proving to be fucking freezing. The grocery store would have to wait, but it didn't look like he was about to go home empty-handed. There was no resistance when he grabbed her wrist one more time.

* * *

In no time at all he was back in the mudroom of his flat. She was shaking. He wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from the brush with death. It was probably both. He held out his hand as she slipped out of the jacket she was wearing. Even under the thing she was completely soaked through. He wasn't in any better shape. The shirt he was wearing was flush against his torso in the most uncomfortable and constricting way possible.

"Wait here. I'll get you something dry."

She didn't exactly acknowledge his words, but she didn't make a move to follow him either. He felt bad leaving her alone and trembling. She was standing in exactly the same spot when he came back with a towel and some clothes that he hoped would fit. Her eyes followed his movements warily. He frowned in annoyance and tossed the bundle at her.

"Dry yourself off and change."

He turned and retreated to his room so he could do the same. Once the door was shut he peeled off his shirt and struggled out of soaked denim. His boxers weren't doing much better. He hoped she was okay in that department because there was nothing he could do about it. The hell was up with that storm anyway? This was a little more than a passing shower. What crap meteorologist gave that forecast? He was glad to see that she wasn't still standing by the door. Now she was standing still a little further into his house. Baby steps. He snatched the wadded up towel from her as he walked by.

"You still haven't told me your name. Tea?"

"Sure thanks," she startled to attention, "My name's Maka."

Interesting name she had there. Not bad though.

"Glad you're feeling a bit better, Maka."

It felt odd to address her properly. Odd and yet strangely satisfying. She trailed after him into the kitchen. He put the bundled up towel on the dining room table that he never used and she grabbed it immediately. That warranted a suspicious look.

"Problem, squirt?"

What had caused him to say that exactly? He barely knew her and he was calling her names? O wonder he was still single. And oh boy, if looks could kill he would be on the floor because she was shooting some seriously sharp daggers.

"I just wanted to go and hang up your towel and my _bra_," she ground out, "Asshole."

Soul felt himself flush from both anger and embarrassment. There were now two courses of action that presented themselves to him. He could yell at her for calling him an asshole when he was helping her. _Or _he could ask what was really on his mind. Does that mean you're not wearing a bra under my shirt? She spun on her heel and went off to find the bathroom, ultimately making the decision for him. That was probably for the best. He spent the time he was making the tea to try and figure out why he felt so worked up. That hadn't happened in a long time. The girl–ºno, he knew her name now. _Maka _came back empty-handed and still looking pissed. He decided not to make a comment on how she had to roll up his basketball shorts several hundred times. It seemed height was a bit of a touchy subject with this one.

"What are you thinking about?"

Okay. It was official. Women officially made no sense. Was she mad or not? He opted not to answer the question. She wouldn't appreciate any of the thoughts that were currently racing through his mind. It wasn't his fault! He couldn't help it that he was a young bachelor who didn't usually have visitors of the… female persuasion.

"Is peppermint okay?"

"Yeah, thanks."

He plopped two mugs and some sugar on the table before sitting down across from her. They sat in silence as she poured an impressive amount of sugar into the mug that he was busy keeping his eyes glued to. _Do not_ _look at her chest. Do _not.

"Do you live alone here?"

An affirmative grunt. She looked impressed.

"I live at home with my papa," she frowned, "It's like living alone most of the time though."

Her "papa," huh? He took a long, slow sip of the too hot tea.

"How old are you exactly?"

He had to know. He really needed the peace of mind.

"Almost nineteen," she cocked an eyebrow at him, "Why?"

He took another sip instead of answering. Not a minor. Good. Now maybe he could relax. _Yeah right. _


End file.
